City’s top technology, information officers want data to drive policy

If Jason DeHaan, Brett Goldstein and John Tolva had their way, nerds would rule Chicago. More accurately, data would rule — becoming the driving force behind policy moves that help the city run smarter and more efficiently.

“We’re applying science to our decisions,” Goldstein, the city’s chief data officer, said at a Wednesday appearance hosted by the Executives’ Club of Chicago. “We’re applying empiricism and statistical models.”

Chief Information Officer DeHaan and Chief Technology Officer Tolva accompanied Goldstein at the panel discussion, which provided an overview of the administration’s vision for open data and putting predictive analytics to work…